Lorena Wiebes claimed her second consecutive victory in the 2024 Simac Ladies Tour, winning stage 3 in a fast sprint finish ahead of Elisa Balsamo and teammate Lotte Kopecky. Wiebes, the European champion, crossed the line first after a chaotic and wind-swept stage through the polders of Flevoland, which saw the peloton split into echelons early in the race.
The 148.4 km stage, which started and finished in Zeewolde, was heavily impacted by the strong northwesterly winds, leaving the riders exposed across open terrain. After a 2.5 km stretch of crosswinds, the peloton fractured, forming a front group of 22 riders that would battle for the victory. SD Worx-Protime was dominant in the group, with all seven of their riders present, including Wiebes and Kopecky. Elisa Longo Borghini, Balsamo, and Ellen van Dijk were also in the lead group, representing Lidl-Trek, while Charlotte Kool, Rachele Barbieri, and Franziska Koch were among the DSM-Firmenich PostNL riders who made the cut.
As the breakaway group established a lead of over a minute on the chasing riders, Elisa Longo Borghini launched a strong attack with just over 10 km to go. However, Wiebes and Kopecky worked together to bring her back into the group, nullifying the move.
In the final kilometres, Franziska Koch made a bold attempt to break away with Christine Majerus, but Ellen van Dijk, leading the chase, shut down the effort. With no further attacks sticking, the stage was set for a sprint, and Team SD Worx-Protime took control.
Wiebes on form in final sprint
Barbara Guarischi led the charge in the closing moments, positioning Kopecky and Wiebes perfectly for the final burst. Kopecky began her lead-out with 500 metres to go, and Wiebes launched her sprint from 200 metres out. Elisa Balsamo, sitting in Wiebes’ wheel, tried to come past but couldn’t match the Dutch rider’s speed, settling for second place. Kopecky still had enough momentum to hold off Kool for third.
After the race, Wiebes acknowledged the challenge posed by the windy conditions. “It was quite a tough race,” Wiebes said. “We worked hard to maintain our lead, because behind us teams were also chasing who had missed the battle. At five kilometres from the end, we consulted among ourselves and with the team leader’s car, after which it was decided to pull my card. I was brought perfectly. When I saw it was 200 metres to go, I went on. This was perhaps just that tad too early, but fortunately I was able to hold off everyone. That we ended up finishing one and three only makes it more beautiful.”
Kopecky’s third place means she now sits just three seconds behind general classification leader Zoe Bäckstedt, who finished safely in the front group but lost a handful of seconds. Bäckstedt has a slender lead of three seconds over Kopecky, with van Dijk sitting eight seconds back.
Wind wreaks havoc early on
The stage saw echelons form after just 30 km, with the peloton split into four distinct groups. The front group, consisting of 22 riders, quickly pulled out a lead of 30 to 40 seconds over the second group. Teams that missed out, including Visma-Lease a Bike’s Lieke Nooijen, who started the day second on GC, struggled to bridge the gap. By the final lap, the gap had grown to over a minute, cementing the fate of those caught behind.
Team DSM-Firmenich PostNL was well-represented in the lead group, with four riders making it into the selection. Franziska Koch was particularly active, launching a late attack, though it was eventually neutralised.
Wiebes’ victory marks her second stage win in as many days, following her triumph in stage 2. With three stages left to race, including a fast circuit stage tomorrow, the battle for the overall lead remains wide open.
SD Worx manager Danny Stam praised the team’s efforts, saying, “Our riders delivered Barbara Guarischi, Lotte Kopecky and Lorena Wiebes well on the last roundabout 500 metres from the end, after which it was up to that trio. Who then finished it off nicely.”
As the race continues, all eyes will be on the remaining stages as SD Worx-Protime holds the advantage in the GC, while Bäckstedt fights to keep her yellow jersey whilst riding solo.
2024 Stage 3 Simac Ladies Tour result
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
Main photo credit: Getty
